Emporia High soccer suffered a heartbreaking 5-4 penalty kick loss to Goddard after a thrilling 4-4 draw on Spartan Field on Tuesday in the opening round of regionals.
Brayden Sailer scored two goals in the first 10 minutes, and Cole Faulkner added another to give the Spartans a 3-1 halftime lead.
Thiago Esquivel extended the lead to 4-2 before the Lions staged a late comeback to tie the match and force overtime.
Neither team scored in the two overtime periods, and Goddard secured the 3-1 shootout victory.
Head coach Victor Ibarra noted that his team just needed to convert that crucial put-away opportunity.
The Spartans end the year 12-4-1.
